In any presidential election season, people often give a lot of thought to who candidates are, and the perspectives of life that they come from.

But perhaps no one past president’s story is as fascinating as Abraham Lincoln’s.

Coming from poor beginnings, Lincoln was known for his insatiable appetite for news. He would later delve into the writings of Tom Paine, Euclid, Shakespeare and the Bible. Lincoln rose out of poverty, becoming socially mobile with his marriage to Mary Todd. He eventually was thrust into the national political spotlight as the sixteenth president of the United States.

Author Sidney Blumenthal has focused extensively on Lincoln’s political life, and has written volumes to prove it. Blumenthal joins AirTalk to talk about his book, “A Self-Made Man: The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln.” Blumenthal will also lend insight into what comparisons can be made between the political climate of Lincoln’s time, and today.